Long Term Class Planning: Shoulder Focus

One of the many reasons I am in awe with my teachers Adam Ballenger is his foresight to plan long term class plans. He can summerise what he plans on teaching the next few years alignment wise. It's amazing. I use to teach something different every class. Always trying to switch it up so students wouldn't get bored. However the past few years I have really seen the benefit of teaching the same thing for longer snouts of time. We practiced all lower body alignment for months. And then I started getting lots if shoulder requests. So this is how I planned it out. I actually sat down with a journal and wrote this out.

We have been going over the complements of shoulder alignment:
First principle: side bodies long, melt heart and inner body bright
Muscle energy: arm bones, scapula, collar bone draw back.
Organic energy: extending from the focal point out in all directions.
Shoulder loop
Kidney loop
Skull loop
We looked at these aspects for 2 weeks in all forward facing poses like tadasana, dancer, other backbends, lunges, splits, hip openers.
Then for about 2 weeks we looked at applying these alignment components in side open poses. Like side plank variations, parsvakonasana, trikonasana, ardha chandrasana.
Now we are in the middle of practicing these same principles in twists. Like twist utkatasana, twist lunges, quad stretches wrh twists, arm balance with twists....

Everyonce and a while I feel like I am being repetitive and my students are getting bored. But then a student will say something like "oh my gosh. It makes sense now" or "wow I can feel my side bodies lengthening I think I was doing it wrong for the past 5 years" or "my shoulder was hurting but after practicing this shoulder stuff it doesn't hurt any more".

After this week we will continue to look at twists but focus on the lower body. Spring cleaning. Twists with shoulder focus. Next week twists with leg focus

Tuesdays class
Poe: shoulders
Thread needle
Mod. Parsvak
Twisted high runners lunge
Twist lunge
Twist anjaneyasana
Twist l.L quad
Twist both ways pigeon
Twist quad pigeon
Pincha manurasana
Headstand
Child's
Hero- twisted heros
Supta parsva bakasana
Utk twist
Parsva bakasana
Janusirsasana
Janusirsasana twist
Pachimotinasana twist strap

After coming off maternity leave and switching studios I am just so intensely grateful for my teachers, my students, my fellow yogis, my ever changing practice... I love what I do and I am so greatful that I get to do it and support my growing family. I grateful for YOU reading this blog

Tuesday and Thursday Class Notes

Thursday
Request: shoulder focus
Principle of emphasis: 1st principle
Shoulders toward ears (side bodies long. 1st principle) shoulder broad (inner body bright. 1st principle) puff then melt heart (1st principle)
Theme: Alignment based yoga puts your body in an optimal position where healing takes place. It takes discipline to align your body and hold it with stability which leads to more freedom in your mind, body and heart.
We are all injured from past experiences whether psychically it emotionally. This yoga teaches us that every moment can be an opportunity by knowing how we align in each moment.
Quote: "…feelings like disappointment, embarrassment, irritation, resentment, anger, jealousy, and fear, instead of being bad news, are actually very clear moments that teach us where it is that we’re holding back. They teach us to perk up and lean in when we feel we’d rather collapse and back away. They’re like messengers that show us, with terrifying clarity, exactly where we’re stuck. This very moment is the perfect teacher, and, lucky for us, it’s with us wherever we are."Pema Chödrön

Table shoulder movements (up and broad)
Pincha table shoulder movements- dolphin (up and broad)
Dd- Tadasana hold block shoulders up and broad s.i.t.o
Utt- Lunge (sbl, calor bones broad)
Utt- Lunge clasp hands
Dd- Low lunge quad
Dd- Anjaneyasana clasp- reach
Shoulder strap tadasana melt heart
Pincha
Handstand
Clock stretch wall
Clock stretch belly
Sphnx quad
Ustrasana
Bridge
Shoulder stand blanket
Fish twist
Janusarisasana
Wide janusirasana hold behind knees lift chest
Shavasana 2 acordian blankets




Tuesday
Theme: lean into the unknown and that what scares you to get empowered and take control of your life.
Antidote: learning to snowboard/ski. Leaning down the mountain to gain control and not fall instead of bein scared leaning back and falling
Tadasana 1/2 moon
Sun a- vinyasa -Lunge - tadasana 2x
Tree
Standing pigeon
Malasana - Crow
Active pigeon
Low lunge quad
Anjaneyasana quad
Parsvot
1/2 hanumanasana
Virasana blanket tricep stretch
Dancer
1/2 moon to far - 1/2 moon- standing pigeon
Pincha manyurasana "L"
"" kicking
Handstand "L"
"" kicking
Bridge
Twist
Root femurs